Cowboys and Angels
by Engrish Spy
Summary: A story inspired by the events of Endless Waltz. What if the little girl was actually Relena? What if Heero was to confront her and find out he was in love with her?
1. Relena

Cowboys and Angels: A Familiar Face   
Rating: R (for now)   
By: The Engrish Spy   
  
A/N: See Endless Waltz? No then don't read. There are some spoilers and then it turns our funny. I got the thought in my head today while shopping. What if the girl (the one who hands Heero the flower) was Relena? What if she was about Heero's age? What if she had survived the attack? Read on to find out more.   
  
Relena silently shut the door behind her as she left the apartment she lived in for the day. Around her she could hear the similar sounds of others getting on with their daily lives, mothers getting ready to send their children off to school, fathers reading the daily news, lovers leaving their love for home. Relena just sighed and continued her journey to the bottom of the apartment complex and complete a morning ritual. Though today she was on a mission today.   
  
Today she was headed to a memorial held for the victims, of the burring of apartments next to a base of stationed Gundam's. She had lost family and her beloved puppy to the explosion. She had only survived from the blast by her mother covering her to absorb the shock of fall and of the fire. She had not come out unscathed though.   
  
A large, purple, and monstrous scar covered most of the left side of her face. She also walked with a limp never fully recovering from the fall that had her in a wheelchair for two years. She also had long burn scars up and down her back, chest and legs from the fire. The doctors had claimed she was not going to make it past the night. She was only fourteen at the time when they told her that. She shuddered at the thought and then tugged at her cream coloured jacket as she headed for the memorial site.   
  
The site was not too far from the apartment she lived in now. A small and sterile one but living quarters non-the less. Arriving in inconsequential style, Relena found a spot in the back as the disheartened festivities began. There were speeches and dedications. Family members were given plaques for good deeds that they did in the name of the deceased. It was the same tripe that came with every year of mourning this catastrophe. Relena moaned under her breath as the ceremony finally came to an end. She stood with the others as they gave a rousing round of applause and then slipped away to the black monolith like wall that was engraved with the names of the dearly departed.   
  
Coming to the first wall of the structure, Relena gazed the names. There were the names of neighbours, such as Mrs. Archibald, the old lady who would baby sit her when her parents were working overtime and Richard Christof, who was her dad's best friend. When she reached the second one she was quick to find her family name. Darlian, stood out evidently on the black weather resistant marble and granite, and listed were her mother and her father. She touched the deep gouges in the rock with her withered hands as if she was trying to touch her parents. The tears could be felt welling up in the back of her throat as she continued to stare at the two names she held so dear. She never let them fall, for that was a sign of weakness in her eyes. Nobody should cry over others.   
  
Standing back she felt shivers crawl up her spine. She could tell that she was not alone any more. Turning to her right she spotted a man with chestnut coloured hair standing near the end of the memorial. He was dressed in a blue fitted jean jacked and blue fitted jeans. He was touching the granite the same way Relena had been earlier. He turned as if he had sensed her presence as well. Relena was greeted with Prussian blue eyes that burned with icy coldness, coldness she was only greeted to once before but could not explain it. Shocked with that thought, Relena automatically pulled her hand up to shield her face. The man grunted and then turned to leave. Relena dropped her hand as she watched the man's backside leave. As she turned to leave herself Relena could not help but wonder why the man seemed so familiar.


	2. Heero

Cowboys and Angels   
By The Engrish Spy   
Rating: R (for now)   
  
Author Notes: I would like some reviews. I also don't own Gundam Wing.   
  
He did not why he was there in the first place. Sylvia had told him to forget the past, look to the future. He shook his head and continued down the street. He had come to see if the girl he had met all those years had gotten the remembrance, which she was entitled to. He wanted to find out how the people of this colony remebered her.   
  
He had discovered that the family's last name had been Darlian. There was Richard and Marie who held down jobs at the city hall for their section in the L1 colony. They had both died in the intial blast. There were no records of the girl, accept what was mentioned on the sheet of her mothers information. She probably died in the fire as well, too burned to be identified.   
  
The artificial colony rain began to pour. Cursing, he ran for the cover of a little café to his right. Taking a seat near the back, he awaited the arrival of a waitress.   
  
The war had not been kind to him. He had made it out of it alive, with the love of the Vice Foreign Minister Sylvia Noventa, but he was wondering if that love was not true. What was love anyway? It was an emotion. Emotions that he was not likely to emote to anybody not even Sylvia.   
  
"May I take your order sir?" a soft voice asked.   
  
He looked up and was greeted to a pair of clear azure eyes. These were eyes he had seen before. They were like the eyes that haunted his dreams. They were the eyes he had seen this morning at the memorial.   
  
"Coffee, black," he grunted in a mono toned bark.   
  
"Will there be anything else?" she asked quietly.   
  
He shook his head and the waitress left. He watched her go noting that she wore a huge pink turtle necked sweater in the June heat of the colony. He noted the huge scar on the left side of her face and the way the long blond hair hung in her face even though she wore a large white hair band to keep it back. Though it was her eyes that struck him the most.   
  
~*~   
  
  
She could have been no more then fourteen, his age. She was walking what he suspected as a golden retriever pup but once he asked she just said it was a mutt because it was all she could afford, with the war going on. She had then gave him a cluster of wild flowers she had in her hands.   
  
--These were for my mother but I can pick more, -- she replied and then gave him a smile.   
  
The smile seemed to touch his heart. She was so innocent and ready for the world. Her clear azure eyes never left his Prussian blue ones for a moment. Off in the distance a man calling to her startled the pair. She cast her eyes down.   
  
-- I have to go, -- she said in a soft voice.   
  
He nodded and then watched as she left, never to see him again.   
  
That night when he hoped over the fence and pushed the button, he never expected the gundams to topple onto the apartment complex. Screaming, the first thing to come to his mind was the girl and her pup. As soon as the fire had died down, he began his frantic search for any survivors. He only found the pup, dead. He carried it back to the base where he buried it in hopes of putting the demons of his deeds to bed. It did not work.   
  
~*~   
  
  
"Here you go sir, enjoy," a voice said jolting him from his daydreams.   
  
She placed his cup down. He did not know what he was doing but he grabbed her wrist startling the girl and his coffee all into his lap. The china skittered to the floor and broke into pieces. The girl's eyes went wide with panic as she noticed the spill.   
  
"Sir I am so sorry. I'll bring you another cup," she stuttered and then took a white rag from her black apron around her waist to mop up the spilt coffee.   
  
"It's ok, it was my fault" he replied in a low sound and then took a few napkins and helped her clean the rest of the mess up.   
  
"Is there any thing I could do for you? Bring you another coffee. Pay for your coffee?" she said slightly still trying to hide her face and hands.   
  
He shook his head; "I'm fine. I'm sorry I startled you."   
  
She blushed, "It's ok I'm easily spooked," she replied.   
  
He just nodded his head and then bent to pick up the white china that had crashed to the floor.   
  
"I can get that," she said and then bent down only to bump her head against his.   
  
She leaned back on her haunches and rubbed the spot. He did the same but then continued his task of picking up the broken china. As he came up he noticed the watery look in her eyes. It was almost like the one Sylvia gave him when she was upset about something. This was different though; she looked as if she was trying to hold back.   
  
"Bad day?" he heard himself asking her.   
  
The girl nodded her head. He handed her the broken china and then looked down at her withered hands. He could not help but ask.   
  
"How did you get the scar?"   
  
She looked down at her feet; "I was in a fire when I was fourteen."   
  
He could feel in his heart sensations that had never been there before. It was as if he felt pity for her.   
  
"I have to go. I have other customers. The coffee is on the house," she said quietly and then scurried back to the counter to throw out the broken cup.   
  
She then began talking to a younger man with red hair to the puddle of coffee still on the floor. He nodded and then returned with a mop and bucket. He left knowing that he would return. He had to come back to pay for the coffee.   
  
~*~   
  
  
"Hey Relena-boss if you weren't the boss of this place, then you would be in trouble now," the red haired male chide the blond woman.   
  
"Quiet Charlie," she replied softly and then blushed.   
  
Charlie came round to the front of the counter and rested his forearms on it, "So who's the guy?" he asked.   
  
Relena did not listen to him and pulled a credit bill from her pocket. Charlie became annoyed the Relena was not paying attention to him.   
  
"Relena, earth to Relena who was the guy?"   
  
Relena looked up from the register and into the green eyes of her youngest staff member, "Huh, oh I don't know."   
  
Charlie sighed and then picked up the broom and moved out to the patio of the café and began to sweep the steeps. Relena sighed and then sniffed the June air in appreciation. She began to wipe down the counters and packed up some of the empty coffee cups into the return bin to be sent back to Joey and Mika for washing. It stuck her as odd that the man had asked her why she was the way she was. Everybody in the neighborhood knew about her and her story.   
  
'He must have been a tourist up for the memorial,' Relena thought as she paused in the task.   
  
'Then why did he look so familiar?' her other inner voice asked.   
  
The phone broke her thoughts and Relena went to answer it.   
  
"Peacecraft Café, Relena speaking, how may I help you?"   
  
"Lena tell me you've got some bagels made?" a perky voice at the other end cried.   
  
Relena moved towards the displayed case and pulled out a brown bag and began to fill it with bagels.   
  
"There be ready when you get here," Relena said softly and then placed the phone down.   
  
A curly haired brunette walked from the kitchen into the main part of the restaurant. She gave Relena a questioning look and Relena gave her a small smile. Relena then held up her hand and began to count from three. As if on cue a small fairy like girl crashed through the doors and ran to the counter.   
  
"Duo in town?" The brunette asked.   
  
The other girl nodded her head and then grabbed the bagels and ran. She threw a hurried thank you and a kiss over her shoulder and sprinted off as fast as she had arrived.   
  
"God sometimes I wish I had a guy like Hilde," The brunette sighed and then pulled the coffeepot off the warmer and poured herself a cup.   
  
Relena held out her hand and the brunette rolled her eyes and pulled out a credit paper and gave it to Relena.   
  
"Sometimes I wonder how you keep your employees when you nickel and dime us," The brunette sighed.   
  
" Mika, I have to pay you guys and then the rent…" Relena chimed off.   
  
Mika held up her hands, "I get it, you don't have the money to waste in lost product. I've heard that speech way too many times in being here."   
Relena hung her head and Charlie came back into the café. He was disheveled and looked dazed. Mika smirked.   
  
"Did you get hit with the Hilde tornado on the way out?" Mika asked.   
  
Charlie nodded and then looked to Relena. Relena sighed and then opened up the cooler to hand Charlie a soda and then took one out for herself. Who said life was not great.   
  
TBC…


	3. All I can Do is Fight!

Cowboys and Angels  
By: Engrish Spy   
Rating: R for now.   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing   
  
It was close to closing time when he appeared again. Relena had been wiping the last of the tables when a tap at the closed French door alerted her. Confused she crossed the little café and opened the door to see the man with floppy brown hair standing there. He still wore the jean jacket and tight jeans from this morning.   
  
"It's closing time. We'll be opened at nine tomorrow if you would like to come back," Relena stated in a quiet voice trying to hide her face.   
  
"I need to ask you something?" he stated roughly.   
  
Relena continued to avoid looking at him.   
  
"What is your name?" he asked softly.   
  
"What is your name?" she countered.   
  
"Heero Yuy," he declared firmly.   
  
Relena gasped and then turned away. Heero sighed and then turned to look at the counter.   
  
"You piloted Wing Zero in the war?" she asked him from her position.   
  
"Yes," He said softly, almost expecting her to run to the phone and call the authorities.   
  
Relena surprised him when she spun to face him, and then stuck out her hand, "I'm Relena."   
  
Heero accepted it and shook her hand firmly, "Nice to meet you Relena."   
  
"Well with pleasantries out of the way, what can I do for you?" she asked and pushed the hair out of her eyes.   
  
"I would like to know if I could have a job here?" he asked.   
Relena smiled and then began to scrutinize the man; "Do you have any waiter or cooking experience?"   
  
Heero shook his head. Relena continued to smile, "Do you know how to wash dishes or do you have any maintenance skills?"   
  
Heero shook his head again but Relena continued to smile.   
  
"What can you do?" she asked.   
  
"All I can do is fight," he replied in a terse tone.   
  
Relena's features fell at the comment. He caught the shimmer of tears in her eyes and then thought of another answer, but Relena beat him to it.   
  
" I can teach you. If you want a job?"   
  
Heero looked up to her face. The crystal blue eyes seemed to shimmer with hope. He nodded his head and Relena began to jump up and down with glee.   
  
"When do I start?" Heero asked interrupting Relena's dance.   
  
Relena stopped and stared quizzically at him. Heero repeated his question and Relena then smiled looking down at the floor.   
  
"You can start tomorrow, if you would like? " she said   
  
Heero grinned slight and then nodded, "I would like that."   
  
~*~   
  
  
" I want the usual," a pixy like girl cried out as she breezed in from the artificial June heat on the colony.   
  
Relena moved into action, whipping out a white mug and poured coffee into it. Mika then tossed Relena a croissant from the display counter, cursing as the freshly baked pastry burnt her skin. Relena laughed and then placed it on a plate along with a little packet of butter. The pixy was at the counter by the time Relena had set the mug and the plate down in front of the cash. Mika came with a cup of coffee for Relena and Relena smiled and thanked her friend. She then followed the fairy girl to a table in the corner by the window of the café.   
  
"So how are things going with you, Hilde?" Relena asked and then took a sip from the mug.   
  
"Good," the girl replied with her mouth full.   
  
Relena laughed slightly and then set her mug on the table.   
  
"What's up with you?" Hilde asked.   
  
Relena hung her head, " I've been the same."   
  
Hilde nodded her head in a mocking way. Relena just hid her face from the black haired she had met after the war.   
  
"Relena, Heero wants to know if he can go on break?" Mika cried from her position at the counter.   
  
Relena nodded her head and then watched as Mika left to go to the kitchen.   
  
"So who's Heero?" Hilde asked with a sly grin as Relena turned back to her friend.   
  
"He's the new dishwasher. Nik was not working out," Relena replied and then took another long sip from her mug.   
  
"Is he cute?" Hilde asked in her bubbly voice.   
  
"I guess," Relena replied nonchalantly.   
  
"Oh come on you have to admit if he's cute or not," Hilde chided her friend.   
  
Relena shrugged her shoulders, "he's cute but it's not like he would return the sentiments."   
  
Hilde sighed and then looked at her friend, "Well you don't know that he wouldn't."   
  
Relena grunted and then gave her friend the all knowing look, "He would have to be blind, and have no feeling in his hands to every want to go out with me."   
  
"That's not true Relena. It's what's in the heart that counts. Look at me and Duo," Hilde replied.   
  
"You only say that because you are in love. I've heard Duo on a couple of occasion's mention that the reason why he asked to live with you during the war cause you were the hottest girl he had met," Relena retorted rudely.   
  
Hilde gasped and then put a finger to her chin, "Duo's in for it when I get back." She mumbled and then looked at the watch on her right hand.   
  
"I have to go," Hilde declared and then picked up her handbag, "Thanks for the food," and she tossed down the bill and was out of the café as quickly as she had arrived.   
  
Relena shook her head and then drained the last of her coffee. As she did so, she watched as posh dressed people promenaded down the street, all were beautiful, rich and powerful. A young couple dressed in the latest designer sat on a bench near the café. Both were laughing, smiling and picture perfect. Relena sighed and wished she could be that woman with that man. Even if there were not a man in the picture, she would love to be that woman.   
  
"Do you like the man or something?" a gruff voice asked bringing Relena out of her dream.   
  
She turned to face the newcomer at the table. It was Heero standing in a white tee shirt and the black apron he wore, hanging at his waist, to look much like the waist aprons that Relena and Mika wore.   
  
"N...no," she stuttered.   
  
"Then what's bothering you?" Heero asked.   
  
"Nothing," Relena said with a slight blush.   
Heero sat down and the two sat in silence. Relena tried to ease it as the feeling always left her unhappy.   
  
"How is your first day going?" she asked.   
  
Heero downed his coffee and nodded as he gulped the hot liquid down his throat.   
  
"Good," he replied.   
  
"That's good to hear," Relena gave him a smile and then looked down into her mug, "Well I better get back to work. Enjoy your break."   
  
Heero watched as Relena made her way to the counter and placed her mug in the bin where the dirty dishes were put. 'She's nothing like Sylvia-sama,' he thought as he continued to watch her.   
  
~*~   
  
  
Heero sighed as he entered his rented room. It was located in a seedy sector that was not too far away from Relena's downtown café. He threw his jean jacket on the rusty iron bed and walked over to the table he was using as a temporary desk, to turn on his power book. As he waited for it to load up, he pulled off his sweaty tee shirt and sauntered to the fridge to get a bottle of water. Taking a long gulp of the refreshing water, Heero booted up his Internet connection and awaited the incoming mail.   
  
There was mail from Colonel Une about some offers on upcoming jobs . There was one from Quatre and Dorothy about the birth of their first daughter. A few were the usual Spam that came with the Internet. Then he spotter the one he had been looking for. It was from Trowa, and it was large. Heero smiled inwardly and with his usual determination, Heero clicked on the message and sat back to examine the contents of the letter.   
  
  
TBC…


End file.
